The Sun Sets East
by AyCarayChicolion
Summary: When Amenhotep lV becaomes pharaoh, he tries to change the religion to only worship one god: Aten. After time people reluctantly only worship Aten, forgetting all the other gods. Upset one faithul peasant girl, Yaquelin.
1. An Old Horizon beyond the South

**Quick A/N: **I change or add some things to the history of Egypt. Like where was the father of Thutmose and Amenhotep? Were Amenhotep and Nefertiti married before Amenhotep became pharaoh? And some other stuff. Maybe yes or no, well it is fan fiction!  
*_Qué viva la imaginación!  
_!Oh and criticism is welcome.  
(it's my first Egyptian mythology story.)  
*Long live the imagination!

**Quick info on characters:**  
Yaquelin (the main one, the protagonist, POV)  
Tabia: Talented (Yaquelin's mother)  
Ziyad: He shall add (Yaquelin's father)  
Sharifa: Respected (Yaquelin's older sister)  
Yahya: Given by God (the main priest)

The _Italic_ parts is when a character is thinking.

* * *

(Chapter 1): An Old Horizon beyond the South

_"The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises." Ecc. 1:5_

Egypt. My beautiful Egypt; where my feet get burn every time I run barefooted and the pale blue sky always standing still, never moving. My grandfather once told me it is the same sky when the god, Amen-Ra, came down to bless the pharaohs, the kings of Egypt. The same sky I am looking at is where Amen-Ra travels every day across the sky in broad daylight in his gold and glorious chariot full with precious rocks. (I mean I think it would be made of gold, rubies, and lapis lazuli though I have never seen it.) Maybe at this same hour he is up in the sky waving down at me. A blush creeps through my cheeks now and it is not only because the sun is warming up my face.

"Yaquelin!" I hear my mother, Tabia, yell at me and I turn to face her wearing a beautiful tight, straight, sleeveless white dress; carrying a basket full of clothes probably getting ready to head to the Nile for washing with my older sister, Sharifa. "Stop daydreaming and go help your father harvest the crops in the fields."

"Yes Mother!" I shout towards my mother removing my brown, wavy, shoulder-length hair from my face because of the strong wind as I head for the biggest river in Egypt, the Nile River, the same river where the evil god, Seth, tricked Osiris into getting inside the casket and throwing out in the river. I shake my head softly to dismiss the thought and I start running so see Father, Ziyad, at the fields leaving my mom in the dust.

Regularly I would be playing dolls with my older sister, Sharifa, or dancing with her wasting my time doing nothing, but since we are running low on currency and of produce I try to help Father sow, water and harvest the crops (with the help with the oxen of course) so the farming process will be more quickly and efficient. I mean I think it will be more efficient? At first both Mom and Dad were opposed to the idea of me working stating:  
_"That work is only for boys not for pretty girls who should be playing with dolls and practicing singing."  
_But when more income came from my hard work in the fields; both Mom and Dad stopped giving me the same old sermon and actually wanted me to help every day! For that I am grateful to the gods giving them what little we have as an offering in our little altar dedicate to the gods and they in return bless us. Also grateful that we did have a crisis because I know my life is more than entertaining strangers, but I quickly dismiss the thought hoping the gods did not hear me and curse my family to flourish.

"Yaquelin." I hear Father, dress in a loincloth made from linen, tell me when I reach the bank of the sparkling Nile, taking a break from harvesting the beans and clearing his sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. "I thought you got lost or something grave happen."

"No, nothing is wrong Father. I just took the long way." I half lie looking at the waves of the river crashing softly unto each other and fixing my white pearl long dress fiddling with the open wide, red and yellow embroidery sleeves; not telling him along the way I was half daydreaming. "Well here I am ready to harvest the crops." I beam Father with a real smile ready to work while getting the equipment ready to start collecting the unripe beans that Father must of forgot to gather and he in return stopping what he was doing just to smile back.

"_I am glad Yaquelin is a good and hardworking daughter."  
_I could of swear hear what Father thought when he beam his face to me not only the sun shining brightly now.

. . .

"Father." I tell him in the middle of harvesting the cabbages, already done with the beans. The sun moving just a little from the hours spent on gathering the beans and now unto the cabbages. Is Amen-Ra having problems?

"Humph…" Father grunts from laboring not looking up to me thinking that I will question him more about the gods and their glorious adventures.

"Is Pharaoh Thutmose, the brother of Amenhotep IV, going to die?" I question Father still looking up unto the pale blue and cloudless sky in wonder with a pang in my chest.

"Yaquelin." Ziyad replies, sensing his eyes on me now not at the rich, black silt. "If it is the god's will then let it be so." He said too calmly for my taste.

Has he not hear of his son, the prince Amenhotep, wanting to add some random order to the religion or of changing it? The blasphemy! Just because he is a descent of the god Horus does not give him even the slightest power to add or change the already perfect religion of mine. Even Amen-Ra, the god all powerful, will be furious like me when he hears of the prince's treachery.

"My daughter, stop wasting time on thinking and help me on finishing collecting the cabbages." He tells me still picking the light-green cabbages, interrupting my thoughts.

_But I am not done…_

"Though it seems the sun has not move all day long." Father states noticing the strange phase of Amen-Ra. "It has been on the same spot since we started working from harvesting the beans, and that was practically hours ago."

_Oh god up in the sky, holding up the red scorching sun, what are you thinking of? Of the same blasphemy as I?_

"And what blasphemy is that?" Ziyad turns to face me with amazement spread on his face, stopping his work.

_Did I say that aloud? _

"Well?" Father waiting for the response, crossing his tan arms.

"The blasphemy of prince Amenhotep trying to be pharaoh to change our already perfect religion!" I say a little too loudly mostly for the gods to heed the warning of that becoming true.

"Yaquelin! Do not repeat that wickedness again!" He shouts at me his tan face full of anger now.

"But it is –"

"Enough!" Interrupting me again though this time in my speech and not in my thoughts.

_Uh-oh! _

"You are the one blaspheming against the gods! Do you think the gods will approve of this treachery thinking of yours? Do not speak ill of the pharaoh or the prince for they are descent of the gods that you are so highly devoted to!" He finishes looking at me with white fury, the pang in my chest doubling with agony.

I did not want to start an argument or to make Father cross with me; I was telling him the truth of the treason of prince Amenhotep to prepare him for an almost imaginary battle that will turn into a vivid war. I just want to enjoy Father's company and have a splendid time together sharing his stories when he was young to me or I will reveal to him my pranks that I do to the village boys; not to argue.

_It is because I am devoted to my gods that I know the gods will disapprove. _  
But I keep the thought to myself not trying to cause another feud and fuel the fire there is.

"I apologize Father." I say softly to him hoping he will hear my sincereness, ignoring the voices in my head.

"No my daughter, do not apologize." His eyes turning soft now. "It was my fault that I lash out at you… please forgive me."

I genuinely smile. "Father you do not need to apologize for anything."  
Happy that the argument has ended.

He smiles back. "Let us get to work then; the cabbages will not harvest themselves now will they?" Wiping his hands on his white, weightless loincloth, dirtying it.

I laugh a real laugh. There was no tension in the first place to begin with. Picking up the materials to start again, but before I do I quickly glance at the fiery red blistering sun hoping it did move a little during the slight quarrel. But I could not see the tempting sun up in the middle of the faint blue sky. It was at the edge of the earth setting west ready to be swallow by the goddess Nut and noticing my father noting the strange behavior of Amen-Ra also. Is he in trouble?

* * *

"Tell me priest." Prince Amenhotep, dress in a simple pleated kilt of white linen but adorn with exquisite, heavy gold bracelets and rings with a necklace of beads and gold so large that it covered his chest, questions the Priest Yahya. "How is my brother?"

"Your brother, Pharaoh Thutmose, is…" The priest pause to fix his white flowing robe.

"Well!" Prince Amenhotep shouts at Yahya a little too loudly and angrily.

"The pharaoh is not getting better sire." Bowing down not because of showing respect, but more because of fear.

"Ah, I see…" He replies too calmly that the priest looks up to face him with bewilderment in his eyes.

"What my husband means." Princess Nefertiti, the wife of Amenhotep, also dress like her husband but instead with a beautiful, plain dress, comes to join in the conversation from looking down the valley from the open terrace in the pharaoh's palace; touching her husband's shoulder. "Is Pharaoh Thutmose going to get better?" Eying the prince for being so foolish.

"If it is the god's will princess." The priest replies acting more calmly now. "The other priest and I will get ready to start the ritual tomorrow to pray to the gods to heal the calamity of the almighty pharaoh."

"Let it be so Priest Yahya." The queen states roughly, dismissing the priest for his exit.

"At your will Prince Amenhotep and Princess Nefertiti." The priest bows down before them officially leaving the royals to themselves.  
Waiting for a few seconds until the footsteps of the priest fades away deeper in the grand palace.

"My wife, you said the poison will take effect on my foolish brother, the damn pharaoh, months ago!" Amenhotep shouts but not too loudly in fear of others will hear him passing by the hallways; knowing the walls talk when their angry.

"Relax my dear husband." Calming Amenhotep by placing her rough hands on his narrow, tan, and long face. "It has to be slowly so it will look like the wretched pharaoh dies from an illness not poison. It is slow but he will surely die."

"My beloved Nefertiti." Holding her tan hands and kissing the palms. "You are so evil it is so attractive."

Nefertiti only smile wickedly at him. "Now, now my dear husband let us only celebrate to the death of your damn, worthless brother and soon we will get rid of those damn make-believe gods to worship only one – "

"Aten." Amenhotep whispers seductively to his wife; caressing her long, slender back.

"Of course my dear Amenhotep and soon not only the people will bow down to us but the imaginary gods with the one and true god, Aten."

"Oh, my beloved Nefertiti it will not do us any harm is we celebrate early." Nibbling on her left ear.

She laughs wickedly. "Of course not my dear and true husband." Her voice made of cold ice.

* * *

Ugh the conversation between the Amenhotep and Nefertiti kills me and was laughing crazy when I wrote it!  
**Okay I did quick info and Crown Prince Thutmose was recognized as the heir to the throne but he died young so next in line was Amenhotep. So he never did get a chance to be pharaoh oh well we can pretend that he lived long enough for the crown. **

**-Read and Review! Hours to Make, Seconds to Comment!-**


	2. The History of Time

**Quick A/N: I am not in an Egyptologist so not all things are going to be correct. While I write this story I learn more from Egypt and its mythology.  
**And all right! A longer chapter for the wait!  
Thank-you reviewers for your reviews and the readers for reading this story!  
It is because of your inspiration that I keep writing stories.

* * *

(Chapter 2): The History of Time

"_And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."  
Matt 21:22_

* * *

The goddess Nut swallows the sun god, Amen-Ra, at night to give birth to it anew in the bright morning gives rise to a new day with the flaming sun awaking all of Egypt with his millions of light-rays shining down on the brown dessert fields, to view the colors where everything was gray.  
The early morning's just beginning.

I, Yaquelin, also awake to the birth of Amen-Ra, feeling the sun already burning my tan skin in the early dawn that comes through an opening of outside with the flames from the sun forcing me to open my brown, tired eyes to see my surroundings once more as I rise from the floor to sit.  
A room built with bricks made out of mud mixed with straw.  
Even with the hot yellow sun shining down on the small room where I sleep with my sister, Sharifa, it's still cool and shady.  
(though we spend our entire time outdoors in the Nile's fields with the sunshine)  
I get up from the ground where I sleep, removing the white sheets away from me and I carefully try not to step on my older sister who is also sleeping on the floor soothingly on white sheets also.  
I change quickly out of my bed clothes to a beautiful yet simple white long, sleeveless dress with yellow embroidery at the bottom of the garment in form of flowers and I brush my dark brown, wavy shoulder length slowly to look acceptable (plus make-up),  
walking out of the room to meet my parents that are probably already in the kitchen enjoying breakfast of warm, fresh bread with some delicious scrambled eggs.

"Ouch!" I yell loudly when I feel a sharp jab on my right foot but I rapidly cover my mouth with my tan hands as I quickly glance back on my sleeping sister that is still sleeping soundly.  
_Good.  
_I check on the ground to see what nudge my foot and I see the board game, Senet, scrambled on the floor.  
"You go to be kidding me." I breathe slowly, bending down to rub my right foot lightly to soothe it.  
"I thought I clean the Senet up last night? Man…"  
When the pain finally fades away I take turn to the kitchen again to my awaiting parents.

"Oh! I almost forgot." I say to myself quietly, going back to the room quickly again to get a wooden and plain box of mine that I have valuable possessions inside of it.  
_It almost seems fate does not want me to escape the midst of the four walls of my room._  
I open the wooden cover to unlock it's insides as I look through it, searching for a particular treasure.  
"Ah! Here it is." I grab the simple gold necklace with an Ankh amulet, the symbol of life, that is adorn with Turquoise jewels and putting it on my neck as I hold it tight.

_Oh, gods, bless my family and I this day.  
_I pray as I clutch my necklace tightly on my chest while looking out the opening of my room to view the yellow fields of sand.  
_And I beg of you please cure the strange illness of Pharaoh Thutmose to make him king all of Egypt for a lifetime so Prince Amenhotep, his brother, will not take the throne because the prince will get rid of all the existence all of you my gods.  
_Hoping this blasphemy is all but a lie and will not come true for it is too much for my heart to endure.

And for a strange reason the sunrays shine more brilliantly just for a second, at least now I know for certain that Amen-Ra has heard my prayer.  
I smile reassuringly to the sun as I give thanks to Amen-Ra silently.  
Officially walking out of the room to the kitchen where Father and Mother are waiting for my sister and I for breakfast, glancing at my sister sleep peacefully before I go.

"Ah, Yaquelin. You are finally awake." Father, Ziyad, dress in his usual white garments, tells me when he sees me entering the warm kitchen, sitting at the small, round and wooden table on the floor enjoying breakfast. "Breakfast is already served you know." Taking a bite of the scrumptious bread.

"Yes Father." I answer him as I sit beside Mother, Tabia, wearing a gold dress with bronze fringes that is enjoying a bite of the scrambled eggs as I get handful of the still warm eggs and bread in a clay brown plate.

"Daughter, where is Sharifa?" Mother asks me about the whereabouts of my sister, before getting to drink the cold, fresh water in a clay cup.

I swallow my food before answering. "Oh, she is still sleeping." I tell mother as I now get a new cup to pour myself delicious blue water for I am incredible thirsty because of the raging heat and it's barely morning.

Tabia drops her clay cup down on the wooden table to respond with a slight thud.  
"You understand that I do not like it when the family does not eat together, correct?" Giving me a cold stare with her true brown, round eyes that is painted with black kohl and blue paint.

"Yes, Mother." I respond to her softly, looking down on the floor with slight shame of not knowing better. "I will go back to the room and wake her up for breakfast."  
I am about to stand up when Father stops me by holding his tan palm in front of me.

"Tabia, dearest, you know last night Sharifa went to bed late because she was practicing her dancing and singing. Do not be cruel to the poor girl." Ziyad says to his wife heart-warmly, taking a big bite of the last bread in the wooden basket made from papyrus.

"All right love just because you said it." Mother sighs slowly and deeply, getting up from the table to pick up more warm bread from our little kitchen as both Father and I wait for the bread.

_For an unknown reason I feel that I want to go to the temple and pray for the sick king.  
Could this be a hidden message from the gods?_

"Okay here is the bread." Tabia sets the bread down on the table, interrupting my thought, I being the first one to take bread from the wooden basket as I smile teasingly at my parents for beating them on taking the first bread and they in return shake their heads.

When all breakfast is done.

"Yaquelin, let us head to the fields again." Father states to me as he gets up from the floor to stand up, wiping his white loincloth for any uncalled dust.

"Father, may I head to the temple first? To pray that Pharaoh Thutmose will heal again." I question both them, hoping they will let me go.

"All right my daughter; just do not take a long time." Father sighs with both of his hands on his hips.

"Thank-you Father." Bowing down in appreciation, officially leaving the kitchen to the temple of the gods.

* * *

The streets of Egypt are bustling about in every direction as I focus attentively to my surroundings to view men unloading barrels that contain beer to sell in the market, while other people are shopping along, jumping from tent to tent to barter a good bargain.  
Now focusing my gaze on the people that are working outside because it is too hot thanks to the blasted sun to work inside and how they measure their produce with a scale to sell to the locals or the barbers that are also working outside of their home to cut the people's hair in, hopefully, for a good barter.

"Girl! Get out of the way!"

_Huh?  
Is someone speaking to me?  
_I quickly look to my sides, but all I see is men and women focusing their attention to their sales.  
Was that statement directed towards me?

"I said get out of the way!" I hear the deep voice growl behind me yell out loud as I quickly turn around to have my heart stop in great terror.  
There in front of me is a stampede of oxen rushing towards my direction!  
I try to quickly move out of the oxen's way, but I trip on my own feet thanks to the pain from earlier of stepping on the game of Senet and fall face flat on the ground.  
_Oh, gods, let this not be my death please!_  
Trying quickly to stand up again but I fail when I kneel back to the ground, feeling the oxen's feet vibrating on the brown dirt that I feel is inching closer to me and hearing how their horrible mooing becomes louder and louder.  
_Dammit, I am not about to let death take me away that easily.  
_Again I try to stand as quickly as I can, ignoring the sharp pain in my foot and running how I can out of the stampede's way.  
I fall to the ground in shock when I am out of danger's way to see a blur of white and brown in front of me.

"What could of happen if I was caught in the middle of the stampede?" Taking a quick moment to ask myself quietly at the sight of the swift oxen running rapidly in front of my eyes, but dismissing the question for I know the answer will give my heart a grand fright.  
I put my shaking hands in my chest to feel my heart trying to jump out of my chest, hoping my hand will shield the heart from doing an unspeakable act for if it leaves; how will I survive?

"Dammit girl! You could have gotten killed!"  
I turn to face the direction of the deep voice to see a gruff man, dress in a brown cloak with a white hat in his head, standing idly on the other side of the street as I try to stand up from the ground slowly, feeling the stares from the locals pierce through me that have crowded to see the scene.  
"Next time do not stand in the middle of the street!" The gruff man states as he walks off after his oxen to an unknown destination in the west.

"You do not have to be so rude!" I call out the man of the oxen before he leaves, but he only walks away without looking back knowing he did hear my statement.  
"Oh and next time give a warning in time and not in one second!" Trying to get back to the rude man, but it is too late for he is out of hearing distance.

"If I had gotten myself killed by your oxen then you will be the one that had to pay for your life also!"  
I say to myself angrily, cleaning myself from unwanted dust and I turn to face the crowd that had gathered from the little scene.  
"What? There is nothing to see." Glaring at them like daggers with my brown eyes that are burning with red fury, not only the sun is hot now.

And in one second the throng dispersed in every direction of the market.  
Some to continue to shop around, while others went to their jobs to unload barrels and sell their produce.  
_And this is only the beginning of the early morning.  
What other dangers will I face through this day, oh, gods?  
Now I understand why fate did not want me to leave my room in the early dawn.  
_I breathe in deeply before walking out of the markets with my thoughts intact to my mind to the direction of the temple, where I was heading earlier before the incident occur, to pray for the health of the King of Egypt.  
No, for _our_ King of Egypt.

* * *

The shrine smells of incense from the herbs that the priests have burn.  
The main priest, Yahya, is getting ready to do a healing ritual for the sick king to become healthy again and to drive away the demons that are tormenting the loved Pharaoh of Egypt so may he, if the gods permits, to be well again.

"It is time to for I to enter the sanctuary." The main priest, Yahya, states to the other priests when he barely got done shaving and washing in the sacred lake for it is his job to look after the gods.  
"I will take the goddess Sekhmet, the goddess of healing and war, to cure Pharaoh Thutmose and to drive away the wicked vile demons that are tormenting the king."

"Yes, chief priest Yahya." The other ten priests say in union, all dress in white loincloth, walking away together to the Hypostyle hall leaving Yahya alone who is heading to the sanctuary.

_I have been doing this ritual for almost two weeks and I have not seen any progress on the sick king._  
Yahya thinks somberly before entering the room, standing in front of the golden door with beautiful hieroglyphics of the gods and goddess in green paradise.  
_When I finally see results that Pharaoh Thutmose is getting well, the next day he mysteriously gets ill again. Almost if the gods themselves are punishing the Pharaoh.  
But why?  
He is a good, no, a brilliant and honest king that cares about his country and his people.  
Then why … –_

"No. It is not my place to speak about unknown matters." The priest states to himself quietly as he slowly opens the door, almost as if the demons of the Pharaoh are tormenting Yahya themselves, with the door creaking loudly.

The sanctuary is all dark, but with some dim light from the candles' little red flame that the other priests have lighted earlier and the walls have magnificent pictures of priest and the gods living with each other in harmony.  
Yahya walks slowly to the shrine of the goddess Sekhmet, each step slowing him down with unknown torment as he gets closer to the little destination.

"_Nehes, nehes, nehes em hotep.  
Nebet hotepet, weben em hotep_."  
The priest recites the prayer as he gets the lion goddess out of the shrine carefully so he won't damage the statue made out of gold to the middle of the sanctuary and sprinkling water from a golden refine bowl that he has in his hands to wash the statute, but more to wash the wicked sin away with pure water.  
After Yahya is done with the water he places the golden bowl on the floor and goes to get the fine quality, purple clothing to change the goddess with the new garments.

"_Nutjert en Ankh, nefer em pet! Pet em hotep.  
Tu em hotep, nutjert asha renu!"  
_The priest smiles contentedly when he sees the statue is now beautify with the pretty clothing and  
goes to a little wooden table in the corner of the room where it has food and water lay for the gods, picking up the food up to give to the goddess.  
And all is done.

"_Anekh brak, anekh brak.  
Tu a atu. Tu a atu. Nebet Sachmis!"_  
When Yahya finally finishes his ritual for the blessing of Sekhmet he puts the big heavy statue back to where it belongs, to the shrine slowly and carefully, trying to avoid more anger from the gods if anything heinous might occur with the sacred lion goddess's statue and leaves the door open until the evening to close them once more.  
As Yahya goes out, he wipes away his footprints with a broom made out of papyrus reed, to clean any unnecessary dust when he leaves.

_I will do this ritual for a lifetime, for everyday in my life if I have to, to have my beloved king with me for an eternity in earth.  
_The main priest thinks before leaving the sanctuary alone with its white candles shining brightly against the consuming darkness.  
He closes the heavy golden door slowly with each movement creaking.  
To close away any demons that may escape with anyone noticing

. **. . .**

I finally reach the temple that is rich in the color of gold by the golden mud bricks; fill with people from all over the country just to visit the lively temple.  
Some are making an offering outside of the shrine's wall to the statue of Pharaoh Thutmose, the god that is upon this earth, and other people are setting up booths for a temple festival that is going to take place later the week for the restoration of the ill king.  
I walk to the entrance as I eye my surroundings around me (incase for any brutal oxen might run over me) – to view the pharaoh's statue better.

There are two huge statues of the pharaoh outside of the temple's door, one on each side.  
It's made out of gold with each detailing so precise that it seems I am viewing Pharaoh Thutmose itself in real life.  
_The day will come when I will see the King of Egypt eye to eye, face to face, to thank him for everything he has done to our beautiful mother-land and for that reason he must live._  
I pray inward as I reach out my hand to touch the golden statue to see how it will feel against my skin, for some sort of miracle that I have been heard but I quickly pull it away, not wanting to get in trouble and I just walk away from the statue to the temple's door passing the obelisk with its top covered with gold.

Inside the Hypostyle hall, people gather to view the clay statues of the gods and goddess by rows of columns that support the roof as I get closer to my destination to the east of the hall where a priest are selling _votive tablets_, clay stones that people buy to offer to the gods hoping the gods will listen.  
I quickly go to the direction to buy the tablet, trying to get out of the way from the people that are just roaming around.

"Thank you, priest." I bow down to the man dress all in white when he hands me the votive tablet.

"Go with the gods child." The priest tells me in good humor, I thank him again and walk away slowly as I view the clay, brown tablet in my hands.

It's a beautiful clay stone colored in blue, green and red with the pictures of the god Horus, pharaoh's incarnation and goddess Hathor, goddess of the sky, love and joy.  
Each god is on each side:  
Horus on the left side and Hathor in the right side.  
And on the middle of the two gods is a table of food banquet and papyrus reeds that decorate it.  
Underneath the gods is a little picture of men and women working in the Nile's fields,  
I know that the people represent us, that even if poor, we can become closer to our gods because I know they don't care if we are poor or not.  
(though it is kind of strange that we have to buy the votive tablet just to have our prayers heard.  
Isn't that supposed to be free, that our prayers come from the heart and not from a stone?)

_Hopefully the gods will hear my prayers._  
I pray again as I ignore my last statement that I thought.  
_Oh, Amen-Ra you of all gods are my true god for you are the only one that has taken accounted of me.  
I plead you, my god, make my king and your king healthy again to restore all Egypt and take the wicked Amenhotep out of the picture for he is a vile, vile man.  
_I close my eyes tightly as I let the words from my heart go through my mouth, hoping to let my words become true.

"Surely girl, your words shall be heard."

I hear a voice beside me say to me, startling me, as I quickly open my eyes as I drop the votive tablet to the ground that crashes in pieces.  
My brown eyes go wide at the sight of the tablet broken on the floor and winning eyes from the crowd again.  
_Oh, my gods!  
_I stare at the shattered stone in pure shock, not knowing how to move.  
_Is this a prediction? But a prediction of what?_

"I see you are too shock to move. Here, let me help you." The man from before says to me as he bends down to pick up the brown pieces that camouflages the ground.

"What? No it was my fault." I say to the older man as I also bend down to pick up the pieces.  
"It is very unnecessary."

"Nonsense. Oh, you forget one."

"Thank – " I stop in my middle of my words when I finally see the man in front of me, he is dress in white loincloth and his head is shaved.  
He must be a priest!  
"Oh dear, please … do not put me jail for breaking the votive tablet!" I shout a little too loudly, quickly getting myself up from the floor and the priest mimicking my same movements.  
"It was an accident! I swear, ask the gods if you do not believe me!"  
First the wild oxen and now to jail?  
I should have stayed in my room today.

"Jail? You odd girl." The priest laughs. "You are still missing a piece." He hold is hand out to me, holding the last piece of the stone.

"Uh … thank-you priest." I reply, picking up the remaining piece from his open, fair hand and bowing down.

"Please call me Priest Yahya." Yahya states, turning around and walking away from me, leaving me dumbstruck with my eyes never leaving his silhouette.

_That was the main priest Yahya?!_

"I cannot believe the priest did not take her to jail." A woman's voice interrupts my thoughts.

"Hey! Is she not the same girl that was about to be trampled by the oxen?" I hear other male voice say this time.

I turn around to see a mob gather along to view another scene … again, and that are whispering with each other about me … again.  
_Dammit! Don't these _people_ have other things to do?  
_I think angrily, clutching my fist tightly beside me.

"Don't you all have other things to do?" I try to muster my calmest voice knowing it is too early to go to jail for fighting in the temple and they all scattered in every direction on the shrine like before in the market.

_Could the priest Yahya have something to do with my future?  
_Turning away from the random people on more important matter as I look through the statues of the gods and goddess. _  
He must be the key to save the king and to throw out Prince Amenhotep from the lineage of becoming pharaoh, for the priest must of already know that Amenhotep wants to change our already perfect religion._**  
**_I must speak to him about this important matter even if it takes me to jail._

I head to the direction where the Priest Yahya went to hopefully to spot him and talk to him, pushing the people out of the way not caring what they say about me. (because they already have spoken)  
And for a bizarre reason I felt a good vibe about him.

* * *

**Quick A/N**: As you can see this chapter is more based on the history of ancient Egypt, of the ceremony, how they lived in their daily lives in the streets.  
-The prayer that the priest recites is actually a prayer to Isis in the Egyptian language but I change it to Sekhmet (Sachmis).  
Translation: _Awake, awake, awake. Rise through, rise through _in_ beauty goddess.  
Beautiful in heaven, oh goddess, goddess rich in names. All praise to you, all praise to you. I adore you, I adore you Sekhmet.  
_-The goddess Sekhmet is warrior goddess and of healing (upper Egypt where Thebes is)  
-The game Senet or Senit is a board game similar to modern-day backgammon.

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	3. Oxen Lady

(Chapter 3): Oxen Lady

"_Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  
James 4:7_

* * *

Not even the laughter or the chatting of the people will distract me from the silhouette of the Priest Yahya as I try to walk swiftly inside of the Hypostyle Hall to catch up with the main priest, attempting to move out of the people's way so they will not block my path to my unknown destination where I am about to head and struggling of trying not to look at the bronze statues of the gods and goddess right in front me. The temptation of reaching my tan hand just to touch the lovely statues is such an agony!

_No! Leave the poor gods alone now for I have other important things to do!_

_Of course!_  
I need to follow Priest Yahya to question him about the damn Prince Amenhotep lV that is trying to be pharaoh and I _know_ he has something to do with the illness of Pharaoh Thutmose, his brother.  
It makes perfect sense. If Amenhotep kills Thutmose then he will be next in line to claim the throne as the right of the family lineage, but just accepting this gruesome truth makes my heart cringe with aching grief. How can someone live with their self with trying to do harm to another being especially if it is related blood with blood. All I know for certain is that the prince's conscious will eat him alive and although it terrifies me deeply, I will be enjoying that very day for it will be a day of celebration.

Turning back to reality, I turn my head to all directions for the shadow's outline of the priest with my brown, shoulder length wavy hair blowing by the hot Egypt air, but all I see are people standing idly inside the temple, talking to other relatives or shopping around for _votive tablets_ for the gods to listen to their prayers.

_Damn. Where did Priest Yahya go?_

I clench my fist tightly in anger beside me for not being attentive to my surrounding and letting my thoughts go swimming rapidly inside my head without my will's permission.  
I lost the priest and won sightseeing wanderers from around the world walking beside me to get a closer look at the statues of the gods – of the same gods that a second go I was trying to touch with my damn temptation getting ahold of me.

"Where do the priests go that is foreign to the common people or better to say that is a sanctuary to them?" I whisper to myself quietly with my black painted eyebrows furrow in puzzlement as I look at the mighty bronze polish pillars of inside the temple for a magnificent answer.  
"The Sanctuary!" I cry out loud to the four winds, fill inside with excitement and winning stares of the people again that have stop their actions to look at me.

"Oxen lady keep it down!" A bizarre young man, dress in white with white pants and shirt (though I could clearly see that their material is cotton not Egyptian silk) wearing a red and white checkered print scarf around his head that covers half of his fair neck, though from his strange attire what surprises me the most if his fair, light skin.  
He must a Hebrew, clearly not Egyptian with his garments, skin color and his facial features on his handsome face.

_How can a Hebrew speak so well in the Egyptian tongue and what is he doing inside the gods' temple?  
I thought they have different gods or, to be more precise, a God?_

I stand in awestruck in front of this odd man, forgetting my other goal that I am supposed to be doing and lost the will to speak as my thoughts roam with a million of questions.

"Oxen lady?!" I yell out to him in pure indignation when I recollect myself with my hands exaggerating in all directions.  
Of all the other questions I wanted to question him about, I have to question him with this one.  
_Thank you, oh brilliant gods, now the people have nicknames for me, no, do not get distracted for I must look for the main priest!_

"Yeah, are you not the lady that was about to get trampled by the furious oxen outside in the marketplace?" He asks with a smug smile implanted on his lips with his brown eyes shining with humor, running a fair hand through his facial hair on his face.

I swallow a lump that was inside my throat as I glare at this bizarre stranger right in front of me.  
"And if I am?" I try to speak calmly as I can with my eyes never leaving his outline and crossing my tan arms in my chest. "There is nothing wrong of walking in the middle of the street in the market like everyone else does."

"Ah, you are correct lady." He chuckles, looking to his sides quickly of the throng that has gathered around us who are whispering among each other and then right at me with his eyes boring through my soul. "But not if there is a stampede of oxen; am I right?"

_I do not have time for this for I know I am wasting valuable time!_

"Listen_ Hebrew_." I state with the last word made of malice and an instant the young man raises his right brown eyebrow in smugness. "I got other important things to attend to then to waste my time speaking to dim-witted people. Now, if you will excuse me."  
I pass by the bizarre stranger to the direction of where the sanctuary is, past the Hypostyle Hall of the gods and goddess and shoving him slightly by the shoulders as I pass by him.  
I try to look at his face to see any sign of wonder by my actions, but all I see is his face full of arrogance.

_Are not the Hebrew people supposed to be humble and modest?  
This guy is full of foolish ego and pride. How … odd?  
_I ignore my thoughts as I turn around to see if that bizarre young man in white is still there standing there, but all I see is the mob of people dispersing to all sort of directions of the temple like how they accustomed to when the "show" is over and to my relief he is gone.  
Gone like the hope of the faithfulness in the dark abyss being overstruck by a dark fiend lurking in the shadows' grasp.

**. . .**

The hallway inside the shrine is dark with mist (probably from the incense of the altar) creating an eerie effect as I turn my head in all direction in alert of not only getting caught, but of a demon that may be lurking in the shadows.  
I gulp from the foolish thoughts of demons lurking in between the walls of the darkness because they cannot be seen in this dimension and only possess humans from the inside of their soul, not the outside, but could there be different realm that is connected from our world to the underworld?  
My hands tremble slightly from the unknown yet reckless fear that is crawling inside of my fast beating heart and I quickly walk faster inside the hall to get to the sanctuary as I pray to my god, Amen-Ra, that Priest Yahya_ is_ inside the sanctuary doing whatever he needs to be doing.

_Yaquelin, do not think of unwise thoughts for the imaginary fear is eating your insides.  
Concentrate on the goal!_

I look at my surrounding calmly to view the paintings of the gods with Egyptian writing beside them. One specific drawing is of Amen-Ra, the falcon-headed god of the sun, in his glorious boat that carries the spirits of the dead to the underworld to be judge by the god Osiris, Lord of the Underworld.

"Oh, my sun god, will we ever meet in this lifetime? You already prove to me that you listen to me and are attentive to my prayers, but will that suffice the anguish in my heart of destroying our already perfect religion?" I whisper to myself, all thought of fear of the unknown died in the moment I lay my eyes on Amen-Ra as I touch the wall painting with my hands, feeling the rough surface turn so soft on my long, slender fingers.

Then out of nowhere a loud and frightening sound reaches my ears as I look behind me to see – to hope a person is behind me with my brown wide eyes looking frantically everywhere to see all around me black shadows with little light by the torches hanging on the cracked walls.

"Demons!" I breathe as I take a step backwards with my back touching the wall of no escape and the fearsome noise becomes louder and louder with each second.  
"No! I cannot die here in this horrible hallway, but how can there be a being of the underworld inside of the holy temple!"

I hope, no, pray for a miracle that if I stand still the shadow will only pass by and not notice me. However don't they live off fear of humans?  
I try to run as far away from this wretched place, but my legs are frozen still, intertwined with the cracked floor as if it is a whole body. The damn fear has immobilized my body and I cannot move!

"No, please … Amen-Ra help me." I whimper quietly, feeling the room getting colder and menacing each second with my back frozen from the coldness of the wall.

If it is a murderer that is trying to kill me I would have not felt fear inside of my heart because I know that a human being has a consciousness and no one is born evil. It is the evil they choose, the wicked path they walk on since they have selected it. In fact I would have die with honor and not see my tormentor full of satisfaction when they thought to see fear in my eyes for all they will see is anger and indignation.  
But this?  
This is no human being with any sort of sentiment. This is a demon with no mercy, no heart and full of pure evil from the tainted underworld. They will eat me whole and I could not do anything about it just watch the damn demons tear my skin and rip my limbs by limb. What a horrible death!  
No one to hear my pleas of help, with no sense of clemency. Nothing.

My thoughts turn back to my worthless reality when I hear a high-pitched sound right ahead of me by a few steps and the shadows move in an instant.

_This is it! Mother, Father, and Sister forgive me for dying a dishonorable death_ _and please do not be frighten when you find my body torn apart with a few body parts missing from my whole body.  
All I wanted was to save our Pharaoh of Egypt, Pharaoh Thutmose, from the gates of hell, but instead of the demons taking him they will have to take me. I will die in happiness that I die for the cause that I wanted to save. My family, we will meet again in Fields of Yaru, where there is no such thing as fear and only paradise besides the gods.  
Amen-Ra I …._

The noise and beast move out of the shadows to reveal a … mouse?  
A small brown colored mouse with a black spot on its back scampers across the hallway, squeaking away with its heart content to the opposite side where I am about to head.

"What!?" I yell loudly with my fist clench tightly on my white long dress from pure red anger boiling inside of me. "All this time the 'demon' was a puny mouse?!"  
The nerve of that rodent to give me such a fright!

"Oh, no _thank you_ gods for being such generous and kind gods." I say sarcastically as I turn around to face the painting behind me to view the Amen-Ra's straight line curved a little from the humor of causing fright to a mortal. "If I have paint right here with me I will paint all over you, not caring if I will be in prison my whole life!"

Right when I am about to smack the stone wall I hear two voices talking in depth of the hallways, making me stop.

_I think that is the voice of Priest Yahya, but who could the other voice be? It sounds like a woman.  
_As I think, I walk to where the voices are coming from to stop right in front of a massive golden two doors and the voices become louder and clearer, putting my ear next to the door to hear the conversation while I hold my Ankh turquoise and gold amulet in my chest to pray of not getting caught.

"…Pharaoh Thutmose…." I could hear the woman voice say about the king.

_Maybe the priest is talking to the priestess about the illness of the king?  
_I stand still as I can, breathing very slowly as not to disrupt the conversation between the two holy people.

"Priest Yahya." Princess Nefertiti says to the chief priest inside the sanctuary. The only place she knows where no one will interrupt their conversation regarding to important matters. "Tell me more about the sickness of my Husband's brother, if you may."

"Of course princess." Priest Yahya bows down at the royal, and then stands straight to look at her brown eyes with brown eyes. "We have done the healing ritual for about to two weeks but with no effect. When I finally see progress of Pharaoh Thutmose illness has dispersed. The next day he will be even sicklier than the day before, your highness."  
He closes his sad eyes in shame that his magic has no effect.

"I see priest." Nefertiti says casually. "If all fails, then we should start working on his tomb and getting him ready for the afterlife."

"What?" Yahya opens his eyes in an instant at the princess careless remark. "But…"

"What priest?" The princess narrows her eyes to him. "Death is inevitable as you should know; besides the only thing certain in this world is death and we should try thinking of having my husband, Amenhotep, as the next Pharaoh of all Egypt." She smiles wickedly.

"_And have your imaginary god take out of our gods, of our perfect religion?  
I think not for I will fight for my beloved pharaoh until the end of eternity!"_

"Princess Nefertiti." Priest Yahya states calmly as he can, and not letting his thoughts take control of him. "We should not jump into unknown and uncertain matter when we have the present here besides us, not the future." Winning a death glare from his royal highness.  
"Besides not all is futile." He continues. "I have other plans – other ideas to play to save our king."

"Oh, really?" Nefertiti states in an amusing manner. "And like what? If you may priest."

"Here in the temple we are planning to have a Temple Festival to heal the sick king. Where different people around the world of different race, religion, and culture will come together and bring their most prize healing herbs and potions." He finishes with a smile of triumph on his tan face.

"Yes. That is most brilliant main Priest Yahya." Nefertiti states evenly, but Yahya could see alarm in her narrow brown eyes. "Well, I see is all settled. When will the festival start?"

"Later the week or even before if all of Egypt helps with the setting of the booths and the other material."

"_I must report this to my dear husband. You will not defeat us Priest Yahya. Our god, Aten, will drive all of your false gods away to the dark abyss of nothing!"  
_Nefertiti thinks darkly as she is about to turn around to walk away from Yahya.

"Good. Then let it be a good festival then, Priest Yahya." She turns her face to look at him one time before walking away from him.

And the footsteps become louder with each second.

"She must be coming out of the sanctuary." I whisper to myself as I run away from the door where I was listening to and hide in between the shadows like the demon I thought there was so I will not be seen.  
"So they are planning to build a festival for our sick king, eh? Maybe this is a good way to get more information about this certain matter of the dark secrets that lurks in within the royal family."

The golden doors creak loudly to reveal a long, slender shadow walking out of the sanctuary to the opposite direction of where I am at. As she walk pass by me I could get a clearer view of the Princess Nefertiti, wearing a very refined golden long silk with a red ribbon wrap under her bosom with a faded red veil behind the dress that reaches to the floor and adorn with exquisite turquoise jewelry on her chest in shape of a falcon and with falcon shape dangly earring on her ears. Her hair black and straight that reaches to her shoulders with blunt bangs, adorn with gold beads in her ends.

_Wow, she truly is beautiful, fit to be a princess! Maybe she is a goddess herself with such loveliness!  
It is a shame that real beauty cannot be measure with the physical beauty.  
(and she is even wearing my favorite colors!)  
_I think as my eyes go wide with such beauty and soon Princess Nefertiti is out of sight and out of hearing. I get out from my hiding spot of the shadows next to the wall to make sure she really is gone.

When I hear the door creaking again to announce a newcomer.

"Oh, no." I whisper to myself in alarm, going again to my hiding spot where the shadows conceal me from any sort of view to spot Priest Yahya walking out of the golden two doors and closing it, ever, so slightly.

He walks to the direction of where Princess Nefertiti went earlier.

_This is my chance, even if it means going to prison for entering prohibited places in the shrine.  
_My thoughts surround me as I take step outside from the wall to reach Yahya. My steps are quiet and soon I catch up to him, but I do not think he knows that I am walking beside him because he has not notice me and I see his tan face full of worry.

"Priest Yahya…" I state in concern and slowly as I put my small hand on his shoulder to make him jump in shock and removing my hand quickly as I put it in the first place.

"What in the name of gods?!" He shouts, turning around to face me with wide eyes. "What are you doing here child?!"

"Um…" Dammit, I should have thought of this in the first place of the random questions.

"Wait…" The priest recollects himself as he narrows his long eyes to me with his hands on his shaven chin. "Are you not the girl from the Hypostyle Hall that broke the votive tablet?"

"Uh, yes." I try to make my voice sound even, playing with my wavy shoulder length hair like when I do when I feel most embarrassed. "I think I took a wrong turn, sorry." Letting my hands fall into my side slowly and bowing down before the priest.

"You do realize that no one outside the temple walls is allowed to roam in these hallways, correct?"

"Now I do." I cough to clear my throat, before I stand correctly. "Please forgive me."

Priest Yahya chuckles quietly. (probably from my stupidity)  
"Ah, what a silly young lady you are and relax I will not put you to jail." He winks at me, maybe because he remembers when I told him not to put me into jail when I broke the _votive tablet _inside the Hypostyle Hall earlier and we both laugh together like we are the merriest souls of the land that have known each other for a lifetime.

"Yes, thank you." I reply when I have stop laughing and bow down to him again.

"Go with the gods child." He beams me a bright smile, turning around to walk away from me to an unknown destination.

"Wait Priest Yahya!" I shout towards him who turns around to stare at me with eyes made of surprise and I walk swiftly to him. "Do you have any work that I can do?"  
_Okay, where did this infuriating thought came from? Oh right! To work inside the Festival Temple for more information before I can officially talk to the priest about certain matters._

"Work, dear child?" He questions me crossing his tan arms in his chest, tilting one side of his head.

"Yes, about oh … I do not know … maybe in a festival?" I try not to reveal more information that I already know, but with the look of bewilderment on the face of Yahya I think I fail. "I mean … you see..."

_What a strange girl? Did she hear my conversation that I had earlier with the Princess Nefertiti?  
Perhaps she is the girl that I saw in my vision – the vision reveal from Amen-Ra himself to help me save our king of Egypt and to drive out the wicked Prince Amenhotep from existing on this earth!  
_Priest Yahya thinks when he remembers earlier this week he has received a message, a vision, from the sun god himself during the healing ritual in the morning.

"All right." The Priest answers, trying to contain his happiness. "Today we are about to set up booths for the Temple Festival. You can help me with that and try to gain more people to help us so we can celebrate earlier this week. Tell the ship-men, the foreign with their different cultures, religion and race! Get the news spread all around the country or the world itself!"  
He shouts with his hands going in all sorts of directions.

"Oh, that is easy Priest Yahya." I state with my eyes full of good humor. "The people around town already call me 'oxen lady'." Winning a surprise look from the priest with his painted eyebrows in high in his forehead.

I laugh, covering my mouth with my hands and running out of the, not petrifying, hallways to have the sun touch my tan skin, making it shudder from happiness to be out in the hot, perfect weather and I look up to see the sun, to see an outline of a man in a boat in the middle of the sky.

"Amen-Ra!" I breathe in awestruck as I try to recollect what I just saw, but the light-rays blinds me making me to look away and when I try to view the sun again to know what I saw was not imaginary, but all I see is the round yellow sun standing still, looking all over Egypt with the world on the bottom of its feet.

* * *

All right meet my new OC, the bizarre Hebrew stranger!  
**Quick Facts:  
**-The Fields of Yaru – the Egyptian heaven. It is a peaceful land of fields, marshes and canals. After death, good people live there among the gods and have to work in the fields so to avoid this, rich Egyptians put small statues called _ushabtis_: they believe the servant will do their work for them.  
- According to liberal (Bible) historians the Hebrews were working as slaves in the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose l (not this Thutmose, brother of Amenhotep, crown prince) and the Exodus was probably during the time of Amenhotep ll) and the Hebrews were brought by Joseph, son of Israel (Jacob), probably in the time of the Middle kingdom, 12th century.  
you'll see why I add this information in the future and if you want to find out more you should read my  
Moses story and its history (A Journey to Salvation) (let's pretend that some Hebrews came back after the Exodus)

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